Treadmills offers a great alternative to walking outside as well as much more versatile than outdoor walking especially in choosing your terrain and walking attributes. Treadmills are a great investment because they are easy to setup, and use. There is no special training when using a treadmill that might be necessary when using weight training equipment or other fitness machines. The price of treadmills is going to vary quite a bit. For a low end model of a treadmill the cost is going to range from 300 to 2000, for the high end people can easily drop over 5000 dollars for a deluxe model. The price varies usually due to the computer system that is present with in the treadmill. Many treadmills of the feature of recording stats including heart rate, time, calories, fat, and distance. Another feature which should be taken into consideration is the horsepower of the treadmill. For the average consumer a treadmill should offer a continuous duty rating. While some treadmills may brag about their peak horsepower which could be extremely high this means at ideals conditions the treadmill might be able to achieve that. There for it is most important to know what the motor of the treadmill can be regularly and consistently. Treadmills can also be very noisy. If noise is a concern for you then seek out treadmills which have DC motors which are significantly quieter then the alternatives.

Treadmills should be strong and stable. When you are testing out a potential treadmills for purchase make sure you are dresses as if you are actually going to exercise and wearing your running shoes. Check the rails to make sure they are properly secured and you can easily wrap your hand around them. Other things to check is if the running path and belt are large enough for you to run on. Another great feature of treadmills is that they are programmable and can be preset. This is a great way to make your exercise experience more enjoyable. Also a bottle holder and magazine rack are handy conveniences when doing a daily workout.

Take into consideration the amount of space you have to devote to your treadmill this will determine which type of treadmill is bets for you. Remember to measure your space and bring home the dimensions of the treadmill first. Most exercise equipment looks small on the sales floor but can be too big for a normal sized room. Many treadmills fold up, if you are seeking a fold up model measure the space you have to house it and buy accordingly.

One of the most complete cardiovascular exercises around has to be rowing. A proper workout on a rowing machine will tone all of the major muscle groups

such as your legs, back and arms.

The beauty of using a concept 2 rowing machine is first of all it doesn’t involve water.

This rower doesn’t get you wet and there are no early morning trips to get your machine

out of the boat shed. No cold changing rooms and gale force winds for your training session. And there is definately no need to find the nearest river to row your machine on. All you have to do is set it up in an adequately spacious area and away you go.

There are lots of different machines available on the market. Although they generally fall into 2 categories:

-Water rowers

-Air rowers

The water rower, which contrary to their namesake, does not end up in you getting wet after a vigorous workout. The machines are very beautifully designed and use enclosed water and paddles for resistance as opposed to air. These rowers tend to be quieter than air rowers and are just as much works of art as they are exercise machines.

Then we have the concept 2 air rower. There are many other brands available but this piece of machinery is commonly accepted to be one of the best, if not the best. They

are engineering masterpieces and are all calibrated to the same standard. So, if you do a certain time on a concept 2 rower, you can rest assured that, that time will be

replicated exactly on another concept 2 machine. This is the reason why the world indoor rowing championships use the concept 2.

The information that the display monitors show on the concept 2 is extensive, with the new monitors even being able to be plugged into a PC, so you can race

If you are training for professional or amateur wrestling it is very important to have the right equipment that helps you to gain wrestling strength.

The following can be helpful for getting started:

Brief Workouts

The workouts should never exceed 35 minutes in duration, as If they do, you aren’t working hard enough to complete your workout. The ability to recuperate from the workouts, and therefore develop more strength, is increased when you complete your workout within the stipulated time. Long and strenuous workouts will eventually cut into your body’s ability to recuperate, and lead to over-training.

Using Machines and Free Weights

There is a common misconception amongst athletes and coaches that you must use free weights when strength training. Free weights are great! So are machines! Your muscles don’t know the difference. The intensity is the most important thing when trying to improve your strength for wrestling. The tool that you use to get there is not. I like certain exercises for certain muscles. It also depends on injuries that a wrestler might already have. You can work around and injury and still give the body a thorough strength workout. If you have access to Hammer Strength machines, I highly recommend that you include them in your wrestling strength workout.

Using thick bar

The thick bar is usually a hollow metal tube that you put free weights on the end of. A thick bar forces you to hold on tightly when performing exercises. It develops fantastic forearm and hand strength. It should be part of every serious strength-training program for wrestlers. You can do curls, reverse curls, rows, and presses with it.

The Trap Bar

The trap bar another piece of equipment that helps to gain wrestling strength. The trap bar is a hexagonally shaped bar that allows you to perform dead lifts with maximal stimulation of almost every muscle vital to improved wrestling performance. An exercise that will make your entire body stronger.

Success is more than economic gains, titles, and degrees. Planning for success is about mapping out all the aspects of your life. Similar to a map, you need to define the following details: origin, destination, vehicle, backpack, landmarks, and route.

Origin: Who you are

A map has a starting point. Your origin is who you are right now. Most people when asked to introduce themselves would say, “Hi, I’m Jean and I am a 17-year old, senior highschool student.” It does not tell you about who Jean is; it only tells you her present preoccupation. To gain insights about yourself, you need to look closely at your beliefs, values, and principles aside from your economic, professional, cultural, and civil status. Moreover, you can also reflect on your experiences to give you insights on your good and not-so-good traits, skills, knowledge, strengths, and weaknesses. Upon introspection, Jean realized that she was highly motivated, generous, service-oriented, but impatient. Her inclination was in the biological-medical field. Furthermore, she believed that life must serve a purpose, and that wars were destructive to human dignity.

Destination: A vision of who you want to be

“Who do want to be?” this is your vision. Now it is important that you know yourself so that you would have a clearer idea of who you want to be; and the things you want to change whether they are attitudes, habits, or points of view. If you hardly know yourself, then your vision and targets for the future would also be unclear. Your destination should cover all the aspects of your being: the physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual. Continuing Jean’s story, after she defined her beliefs, values, and principles in life, she decided that she wanted to have a life dedicated in serving her fellowmen.

Vehicle: Your Mission

A vehicle is the means by which you can reach your destination. It can be analogized to your mission or vocation in life. To a great extent, your mission would depend on what you know about yourself. Bases on Jean’s self-assessment, she decided that she was suited to become a doctor, and that she wanted to become one. Her chosen vocation was a medical doctor. Describing her vision-mission fully: it was to live a life dedicated to serving her fellowmen as a doctor in conflict-areas.

Travel Bag: Your knowledge, skills, and attitude

Food, drinks, medicines, and other travelling necessities are contained in a bag. Applying this concept to your life map, you also bring with you certain knowledge, skills, and attitudes. These determine your competence and help you in attaining your vision. Given such, there is a need for you to assess what knowledge, skills, and attitudes you have at present and what you need to gain along the way. This two-fold assessment will give you insights on your landmarks or measures of success. Jean realized that she needed to gain professional knowledge and skills on medicine so that she could become a doctor. She knew that she was a bit impatient with people so she realized that this was something she wanted to change.

Landmarks and Route: S.M.A.R.T. objectives

Landmarks confirm if you are on the right track while the route determines the travel time. Thus, in planning out your life, you also need to have landmarks and a route. These landmarks are your measures of success. These measures must be specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time bound. Thus you cannot set two major landmarks such as earning a master’s degree and a doctorate degree within a period of three years, since the minimum number of years to complete a master’s degree is two years. Going back to Jean as an example, she identified the following landmarks in her life map: completing a bachelor’s degree in biology by the age of 21; completing medicine by the age of 27; earning her specialization in infectious diseases by the age of 30; getting deployed in local public hospitals of their town by the age of 32; and serving as doctor in war-torn areas by the age of 35.

Anticipate Turns, Detours, and Potholes

The purpose of your life map is to minimize hasty and spur-of-the-moment decisions that can make you lose your way. But oftentimes our plans are modified along the way due to some inconveniences, delays, and other situations beyond our control. Like in any path, there are turns, detours, and potholes thus; we must anticipate them and adjust accordingly.

The lifestyle of an average person of today is dramatically different from that of the past years. The convenience of having an automobile has decreased the time spent in walking to the destination. Televisions and personal computers have replaced outdoor activities. Fast foods have become a significant part of the daily diet. It comes as no surprise that such a

lifestyle can bring about a sedentary life among many, which is the leading cause of obesity. The awareness of the obesity phenomenon has lead many people to reconsider their lifestyles and take action supporting a healthier body through balanced and healthier diets and religious exercise.

With a variety of exercises available, one would often stop to think which among these options is not only the one that offers the best workout but also the most effective calorie-burner.

Believe it or not, opting for a treadmill workout can burn as much as 700 calories per hour. This not usually the case for other exercises like the bicycle and rowing machine, which give the impression of intensive workouts that equal significant calorie-burning.

Studies have been made by the Journal of the American Medical Association that supports this claim. They have compared the calories burned between the treadmill workout and the bicycle workout approximately 200 calories per hour is the cited significant difference.

Treadmill workout is an innovation on the most superb form of the all-around exercise Walking. Not to mention, the treadmill equipment must be one of the most popular home exercise. People who are affected by health conditions such as osteoporosis and hypertension choose this form of exercise because it aims to develop the lower body to strengthen muscles and build stamina.

The treadmill workout can be considered the best way to get the most out of routine walks. For one, since this can be an indoor activity, there is no need to worry if there is going to be any bad weather. The padded surfaces of the machine will not cause any strain on the joints compared to pavement because it absorbs more impact on both the legs and the feet. The overall pace of the workout can be easily adjusted by toggling the controls on the front bar.

Working out on the treadmill can be a problem for some people that there is a tendency to hold on to the arm rest for balance throughout the exercise. This will significantly reduce the effect of a good treadmill workout and thus, fewer calories are burnt. For one’s safety, it is sensible to grab the front bar and get on the treadmill if it is stationary or if it is slowly

moving to avoid accidents. After getting the hang of the pace, try to let go of the arm rest to obtain the full effect of a treadmill workout. In using the treadmill, it is always advisable to start at a slow rate. Pacing is essential because this will determine the rate or speed that matches one’s abilities in order to sustain the workout. Also remember to look straight

and be aware of posture to maintain good form.

Some people prefer to work on an incline while others don’t. If one is not comfortable with the incline, it is recommended to go for speed-walking intervals which are alternated with slower walking.

This article will cover the top 6 reasons you should work out with an Elliptical Cross Trainer. The Elliptical Cross Trainer has become one of the most popular methods of exercise for the reasons you are about to discover right here in this article. This exercise machine has easily risen above that of the treadmill and other exercise equipment because of its overall workout scheme. So sit back, relax, and read on. You will learn the many different reasons that you too should be working out with an Elliptical Cross trainer.

Reason number one An elliptical cross trainer provides the user with a workout using weight-bearing exercises. A weight-bearing workout works to improve a wide variety of aspects of your body. For example, by using an elliptical cross trainer you can increase your bone density, improve conditioning, burn calories, and strengthen your muscles. All by using one exercise machine.

Reason number two With an Elliptical Cross Trainer you will receive a low impact workout. This is extremely important to anyone who chooses to exercise to maintain his or her health. A low impact workout means you are putting less stress upon your bones and joints while you are exercising. The trainer has pedals that you use during cross training and your feet will never have to leave those pedals. This decreases the amount of impact placed on your body.

Reason number three Improve your overall fitness by using an extensive cardiovascular workout. This is one of the key factors that tempt many people to exercise with an Elliptical Cross Trainer. A cardiovascular workout is essential to promoting good circulation and overall heart health.

Reason number four With your Elliptical Cross Trainer you will receive a total body workout. From head to toe and everywhere in between, the Elliptical Cross Trainer allows you to work every muscle. Some other exercise machines only work on specific areas of the body, meaning you would need a few different machines for a full body workout. The elliptical cross trainer does that for you with one machine for a total body workout.

Reason number five Lose weight with an elliptical cross trainer. Because the cross trainer gives your entire body a workout, with exercise and a proper diet you could find yourself losing weight while toning your body at the same time.

Reason number six Maximum results in less time. This is another key factor that lures people to the Elliptical Cross Trainer. Because you get a total body workout, those with a busy life and little time left to spare find that exercising on the elliptical cross trainer provides you with maximum results in less time. This allows you to get the benefits of exercising and still have enough time in the day for other activities.

As you can see, there are many benefits to working out with an Elliptical Cross Trainer. If you find the proper machine, do the right exercises and follow a healthy diet regimen, you will have no problem benefiting from all that an Elliptical Cross Trainer can offer.

They say there’s more than one way to skin a cat. The same goes when you start tearing your hair out with all the frustration, grief, anxiety, and yes, stress. It’s a state of mental conditioning that is like taking that bitter pill down your throat, causing you to lose your sense of self, and worse your sanity. Just thinking about it can drive anyone off the edge.

And they say that the proactive ones are already living off the edge.

As one stressed-out person to another, I know how it feels, and believe me there are many variants when it comes to stress. Coping with life, and carrying the problems that may or may not belong to you can scratch away the little joy and happiness that you can carry once you head out that door. You can’t blame them for being like that; they have their own reasons, so much like we have our reasons to allow stress to weigh us down. They say that stress is all in the mind, well, what’s bugging you anyway?

There are several ways to manage stress, and eventually remove it out of your life one of these days. So I’ll try to divide it into a seven-day course for you and I promise it’s not going to be too taxing on the body, as well as on the mind.

1. Acknowledge stress is good

Make stress your friend! Based on the body’s natural “fight or flight” response, that burst of energy will enhance your performance at the right moment. I’ve yet to see a top sportsman totally relaxed before a big competition. Use stress wisely to push yourself that little bit harder when it counts most.

2. Avoid stress sneezers

Stressed people sneeze stress germs indiscriminately and before you know it, you are infected too!

Protect yourself by recognizing stress in others and limiting your contact with them. Or if you’ve got the inclination, play stress doctor and teach them how to better manage themselves.

3. Learn from the best

When people around are losing their head, who keeps calm? What are they doing differently? What is their attitude? What language do they use? Are they trained and experienced?

Figure it out from afar or sit them down for a chat. Learn from the best stress managers and copy what they do.

4. Practice socially acceptable heavy breathing

This is something I’ve learned from a gym instructor: You can trick your body into relaxing by using heavy breathing. Breathe in slowly for a count of 7 then breathe out for a count of 11. Repeat the 7-11 breathing until your heart rate slows down, your sweaty palms dry off and things start to feel more normal.

5. Give stressy thoughts the red light

It is possible to tangle yourself up in a stress knot all by yourself. “If this happens, then that might happen and then we’re all up the creek!” Most of these things never happen, so why waste all that energy worrying needlessly?

Give stress thought-trains the red light and stop them in their tracks. Okay so it might go wrong – how likely is that, and what can you do to prevent it?

Make your own list of stress trigger points or hot spots. Be specific. Is it only presentations to a certain audience that get you worked up? Does one project cause more stress than another? Did you drink too much coffee?

Knowing what causes you stress is powerful information, as you can take action to make it less stressful. Do you need to learn some new skills? Do you need extra resources? Do you need to switch to decaf?

7. Burn the candle at one end

Lack of sleep, poor diet and no exercise wreaks havoc on our body and mind. Kind of obvious, but worth mentioning as it’s often ignored as a stress management technique. Listen to your mother and don’t burn the candle at both ends!

So having stress can be a total drag, but that should not hinder us to find the inner peace of mind that we have wanted for a long time. In any case, one could always go to the Bahamas and bask under the summer sun.

Some of the oddest machines in the gym are the rowing machines and, although they are somewhat rare, it is not uncommon to see a skiing machine, too. Many people wonder why these sports have been singled out as being such great exercise why is there no tennis machine, or swimming machine, for example? The answer is that both rowing and skiing exercise your body in a way that other sports don’t.

If you’ve ever met a rower, you’ll know that they have huge amounts of upper-body strength, and there’s a reason for that. Rowing is, in many ways, the ultimate upper-body exercise, comprehensively exercising your arm and chest muscles.

The situation is much the same with skiing and your legs. Because of all the leaning and balancing that is needed to ski successfully, almost all of your leg muscles get a workout from skiing.

While rowing and skiing machines are no match for the real thing, either in terms of how much fun they are or how effective they are as exercise, they serve a useful purpose, because we can’t all go rowing and skiing every day. If you use both the rowing and skiing machines in one day, you will get an all-over body workout to more than rival the one you might get on the various weight machines, and the chances are that it will be quicker for you too.

However, with rowing machines especially, you need to be careful about overdoing it. Because rowing tends to feel easier on your muscles than it actually is, it’s tempting to set too-ambitious targets and tire yourself out completely, perhaps even pulling a muscle. For the sake of your health, take it steady, keeping track of how many repetitions you do on the machine on each visit, and gradually increasing, instead of going all-out one day and doing hundreds more than normal.

When you practice yoga, it is, of course, not necessary to have a full understanding of yoga history in order to fully benefit from your practice. A brief understanding of the history behind yoga, however, may increase your spiritual practice and inspire you to find out more about the tradition behind the discipline.

The first writings about yoga were written in Sanskrit in early religious manuscripts in India called the Vedas. The word ‘yoga’ has many meanings. The root of the word is ‘yug’ which means ‘to hitch up’, referring to fastening horse bridles to a carriage. But yoga also means ‘to actively put to use’ or ‘yoke’ or ‘join’. Today, it is agreed upon that yoga is a method of joining or a discipline. Men who practice yoga are called yogi or yogin and women who practice yoga are called yogini.

Yoga was first passed from generation to generation by word of mouth. It wasn’t until about 2000 years ago when an Indian named Patanjali wrote ‘The Yoga Sutra’ that the philosophy of yoga was committed to paper. Yoga is not just about stretching and breathing and holding poses. Yoga is a philosophy on how to live life and deal with the challenges that human beings face daily. The Yoga Sutra defined this philosophy in 195 statements.

Sutra can be defined as ‘thread’ or ‘aphorism’, which means ‘a short declaration of truth’. It also means ‘the concentration of a large quantity of information into a simple definition’. It is a way of looking at truths that apply to everyone despite culture in the clearest way possible.

Hatha yoga, or the yoga that you do when you take a yoga class or perform yogic poses, was begun as a physical form of meditation. The physical act of yoga calms your body and allows your mind to become calm. It also gives you the physical strength to sustain long periods of meditation.

When you perform the physical practice of yoga, you are only engaging in half of the discipline as it has been practiced for thousands of years. Yoga is an incredible form of exercise and calming for the body, but it can also be used as a spiritual practice and a way to calm the mind and will as well.

A well-balanced diet and affinity for all food groups ensure right amounts of much-needed nutrients. However, not all people are blessed with a liking for vegetables or tolerance for milk. There are also people with allergies to nuts and poultry which are excellent sources of protein and good fat. What if you are one of them? How can you be sure that you get proper nutrition without force-feeding yourself brocollis? This is why supplements and nutrition should work together.

Before taking supplements, it would be wise to seek your doctor’s advice. After all, you want to be sure to have the proper supplements and nutrition. The wide variety of supplements include multivitamins, protein supplements, minerals, and specialized supplements. Multivitamins are the most prescribed supplements. Regulated and concentrated amounts of essential vitamins are packed in a tablet or gels. Protein supplements are commonly used by people who want to build more muscle such as athletes. Mineral supplements include calcium for bone growth. Dietary supplements and memory enhancers are commonly classified as specialized supplements.

Supplements and nutrition must be complementary. For example, a person who consumes large amounts of carrots and squash need not take a supplement of Vitamin A. This is because too much of Vitamin A can cause a yellow or orange tinge to the skin. Other overdoses on minerals and vitamins can even disrupt normal hormonal function. After all, even too much of a good thing can be hazardous to health.

Hence, a proper supplements and nutrition scheme must be discussed with the doctor in order to prevent overdoses or taking unnecessary supplements. The US FDA in recognition of the growing market and need for supplements has taken steps to regulate the production, dosage, and sanitation of supplements. This was done to ensure good-quality products. This move is also partly due to rising number of unprescribed supplement use among consumers. The agency also stressed the importance of informed use among supplement users. It is not enough to know the name of your supplements. You should know what deficiency it corrects and how it works. Studies show that many use different supplements whereas tests done to them indicate only a minimal lack which can be corrected by a single kind. Also, despite the supplement rage, doctors and health experts still stand by natural correction of deficiencies by means of a proper diet. They suggest eating alternative sources of nutrients found in allergy-inducing foods. Hey, real food tastes better than capsules anyway.

I’m sure you have a bright idea hidden somewhere in the back of your mind that you just can’t wait to test out. Of course you’re not the only one with the bright idea. So what motivates you to churn those creative, or even inspiring juices to its utmost flavor?

It’s always best to set up a personal goal where you can accomplish the most in record time, maybe like mowing the lawn in an hour before the big game on TV. A correct and positive attitude in whatever you do will make things easier, and even enjoyable.

Here are some tips to make it through the week even if you’re just sitting in your favorite couch. An idea takes time to form in your head and is always at work while you are busy sitting.

Having a bit of positive thinking can help you realize things that are never thought possible. Thinking big is indeed the American Way and that what made our country prosperous.

1. Take passionate action towards living your life by design. Talk is cheap. Action = deposits in the bank of a passionately authentic future. Without it, passion is void.

This is a perfect example where dreams are made of where you start by tinkering with your mind, then with your hands. And if the idea weakens, you can always go back to it later until you finish it.

2. Commit to yourself as well as those you love to create powerfully a life you can love. Instead of reacting, commit to creating from your heart and soul, out of love rather than fear. The American Dream will always be there, but a dream will still be a dream without motion. Be amazed as the transformation begins.

3. Recognize and embrace the thought that each moment is perfect regardless of its outcome. Every time you hit on something that may appear too extreme, why not give it a shot and see if it will work. You will be surprised to see of there are other ways to get the task done in time. If you are not pleased with the outcome, decide to use that moment to learn from and make the appropriate shift.

4. Dwell completely in a place of gratitude. Learn to utilize what you have in your hands and make use of it in the most constructive way. Slipping into neediness will become less of a habit when you repeatedly shift towards gratitude, away from poverty consciousness.

5. Use a Passion Formula of Recognize/Reevaluate/Restore in place of the Shoulda/Woulda/Coulda whirlwind. The former is based in increased knowledge and abundance while the latter focuses on scarcity and lack. As you face people or tasks that may seem harder than scaling the summit of the Himalayas, allow yourself to realize that the task is just as important as giving out orders to your subordinates. You would rather be richly passionate!

6. Keep humor at the forefront of thought, laughing at and with yourself when possible. You may find yourself quite entertaining when you loosen up! I am yet to see a comedian ever go hungry even though his jokes are as ‘old as great-grandma’. Life has so much to offer to allow you to mope around in self pity. Humor is very attractive, very passionate: life-giving.

7. Believe that you are the architect of your destiny. No one can take your passionate future from you except for you! Create your life authentically. As long as there’s still breath in your body, there is no end to how much you can accomplish in a lifetime. The concept of thinking big is all about enjoying your work, which would lead to celebrate a discovery that is born within your hands. Watch everything flow into place with perfect, passionate precision.

It’s interesting how people get wallowed up by something trivial as learning to use a computer, when nowadays that top computer companies are manufacturing software that even the kids can do it. I don’t mean to be condescending, but that’s the idea of not having any positive thinking in your life-you’ll just end up as a dim bulb in a dark corner. So instead of subjecting yourself to what you will be doomed for, make your path by taking the first step with a positive attitude.

Hypertension is a common disease nowadays, which, if it’s not treated corectly can cause many damages to the other organs of the body. People who suffer from high blood pressure need to lower blood pressure in order to neutralize the effects of hypertension on their body.

Changing the life style and sometimes taking medicines is recommended for the people who need to lower blood pressure.

It is very helpful in the treatment of hypertension the yoga lifestyle, which can really help you lower blood pressure. Yoga exercises, called asanas, involve stretching and moving the body into various positions. During these exercises any tightness or tension observed in the body should be consciously relaxed. Yoga practice offers stress management techniques, which are essential to lower blood pressure. There are many yoga asanas, maybe hundreds or even thousands, but only certain asanas can help you lower blood pressure.

The most efficient for lowering blood pressure are the forward bends, which have a pacifying effect on the brain, the nervous system, the blood circulation to the brain, and they also help you reduce the stress. All these lower blood pressure. Furthermore, these asanas slow down the pulse rate, so they lower blood pressure.

They are also helpful to lower blood pressure the sitting asanas, such as Upavista Konasana, which remove the tension from the ribs and the intercostals muscles, and also help you breathe easily. Many hypertensives have difficulties in breathing and these asanas help them in this matter and they also lower blood pressure.

Other helpful asanas are the supine poses, like Supta Baddhakonasana, which relax the abdominal region and have a calming effect on the nerves, facts that lower blood pressure.

There are also recommended for those who need to lower blood pressure, the inversions, such as Halasana and Setubandha Sarvangasana, which have a refreshing effect on the nerves and reduce the sympathetic tone very fast. Usual practice of these asanas regularizes blood pressure, so lower blood pressure when it’s abnormally high.

At these previous asanas you can add the pranayama and the Svanasana, which relax the mind and senses, and stabilize the blood pressure, so lower blood pressure in case of hypertension.

But tarry a while, experts say the class of people most susceptible to low level of vitamin B12 intake are vegetarians.

The reason?

These people do not eat any kind of animal products. And some, apart from their disdain of animal products, do not eat fortified grains or cereals.

It is highly recommended that vegetarians should take vitamin B12 supplements regularly to compensate for its absence in their diets.

Don’t be among those who live under the illusion that certain vegetables have vitamin B12. The fact is only one plant has been proven to have a form of vitamin B12 that can be utilized by humans.

That plant is a Chinese herb known as Dang Guy. And it is not available in appreciable quantity everywhere.

So most vegetarians don’t really have any option than to take supplements.

The decision to change your diet to that of a vegetarian is not one only you can make. It’s a good idea to talk it over with your physician.

If you’ve been a vegetarian for sometime and haven’t had a medical check up and a blood test, then it’s about time you go in for one as soon as possible, even if you are feeling fine.

This is because vitamin B12 deficiency can take years to develop, and by the time you start to experience the anemia symptoms, you might already be in danger of permanent brain damage.

People, who due to surgery have had parts of their stomach removed are also very susceptible to deficiency of vitamin B12.

The parietal cells in your stomach (the same one that produces the acid which aids digestion) also produces a glycoprotein called “intrinsic factor”. This “factor” must be present in the body for vitamin B12 to be absorbed.

In the absence of the intrinsic factor, you will require diets that contain a large quantity of vitamin B12 to avoid anemia.

People in this situation should also take vitamin B12 rich foods like liver for instance, to get the right amount of the nutrient.

If these suggestions don’t appeal to you, then you can take vitamin B12 injections.

Everyone buys gym memberships with the best of intentions. You plan to go several times a week. You plan to take advantage of classes or sessions with personal trainers. You have every intention of formulating a plan, and sticking to it. The problem is: the gym is too easy to avoid. And the reasons for avoiding it are just too good.

It’s not just laziness. Commute times are getting longer and longer: the last thing you want to do before or after work is spend some more time driving to a gym and fighting for a parking space. That’s assuming you even have the option: if you have kids to pick up or drop off, or chores to do at home, you may simply not have the time you feel you need to get a good workout at the gym.

This is where the benefits of home exercise equipment really show. You can snatch a few minutes here and there on the treadmill while dinner’s cooking. You can watch your kids while you work out. You can watch your own DVD’s in the comfort of air conditioning set to your preference while you use a stationary bike, elliptical or treadmill. You can listen to music you like, set up some aromatherapy that you find inspiring, or do some reading while you exercise. And when you’re done, you can take a shower in the comfort of your own bathroom, with all your favorite shampoos, soaps and towels right there waiting for you.

Most importantly, how many times can you look at a piece of exercise equipment before you run out of excuses? If you’re thinking, “You have no idea how many”, you might be surprised. Every time you see it, you’re reminded of the benefits it offers you, and you start thinking of ways to work it into your schedule almost without trying.

One of the amazing things about yoga is that despite the great benefits that it produces, it requires no costs. There is not specific yoga training equipment that one has to use in order to obtain the desired results and there is no such thing as the perfect environment required for practicing yoga.

All this is a direct consequence of the fact that yoga is, more than a practice, a state of mind and a life style. That is why your will, as well as your believes and attitudes towards this philosophical path are all that actually matter. Moreover, a balanced and healthy diet, based on natural food, is a key issue for preparing yourself for your first yoga session. What we eat can strongly affect both our mind and our soul, so it is crucial to mind what we eat.

Even though you do not need a specially designed place for performing your yoga class, make sure, when electing the room where you will be holding the class, to choose a place as far away from distractions – such as radio, street noise, TV – as possible. The place also needs to be clean and quite and, if possible, ventilated. A blanket is the accessory that you absolutely need in order to gain comfort when carrying out the exercises and the meditation, as they are performed in either sitting or lying positions, but, however, a towel or a mat, could work, as well.

In what concerns the clothes you are supposed to wear, try to select something very comfortable and loose, such as training suits, sweat pants and a t-shirt, shorts or loose pajamas. Some people would rather wear no clothes at all, but, nevertheless, most practitioners put something on, especially if the yoga session is not private.

It is also highly recommended to have an empty stomach, before starting your yoga exercises. As a general rule, one or two hours after a main meal is the ideal time for practicing yoga. As breathing is a key element in yoga training, do not forget to also clean your nostrils and your throat.

In case you have not decided which could represent the best moment of the day for carrying out your yoga session, you have to know that both morning and evening practices can result very beneficial to your body and mind. Thus, performing the exercises in the morning can contribute to your good shape for the whole day, as it improves your vitality level. On the other hand, evening yoga practices helps inducing a restful and peaceful sleep.

Your yoga session should not exhaust you. Do not hesitate to take a break, when you feel tired. Actually, short breaks are common, between difficult exercises. Keep in mind that as little as 15 minutes of correct yoga practice can produce marvelous results on your body and mind.

As a final idea, try to remember that the most important thing, when practicing yoga, is your attitude and your desire to discover the incredible sensations and experiences this ancient philosophy can provide.

Under the Adverse Event Reporting (AER) bill before Congress, dietary supplements could eventually be taken off the over-the-counter status. In this day of offhand and frivolous lawsuits, Congress is poised to pass legislation that would allow private citizens to sue the supplement manufacturers, and possibly the marketplaces as well, for health related issues allegedly caused or aggravated by dietary supplements. Industry reporting of “adverse events” in a very formal way would also be a part of this package, much more complicated and detailed than that of the present requirements. The industry and the distributor could be held responsible in a court of law for the use or abuse of these supplements. This is akin to suing the butcher because I choked on a piece of steak, or maybe suing my barber because I’m not on the cover of G.Q. magazine. Ridiculous!

Given the circumstances of the proposed legislation, it may be fair to say that the parties responsible in bringing this issue out into the public and legislator spotlight are misguided, misinformed and ignorant. They fail to see the big picture, and the big picture is that the nutritional supplement industry will possibly be decimated with the passage of this bill. Along with Congress’ arrogant “bull in a china shop” attitude toward “protecting” the private sector, they are on course to remove our freedom of choice in health-related matters. Another real danger here is that the legislators are apt to accept the currently proposed AER bill because certain entities (Senator Dick Durbin) have threatened to re-introduce the issue upon defeat and include increasingly damaging restrictions to affect the industry. This is not about our protection. It is really about obtaining votes from an uninformed public by politicizing a nonexistent danger.

The AER bill before Congress is not a new issue. A very similar bill was defeated before the California Assembly in August of 2004. Many of the aforementioned reasons logically came into debate at that time. Wisely, the bill was seen for what it really is and was soundly turned away. The recent reasoning in Washington is that State-by-State regulating of nutritional supplements is practically non-existent, and when given the opportunity, as in California in 2004, “small-time” lawmakers from these States will completely botch the chance to adequately “protect” the average clueless consumer from this “real danger”.

Despite the resistance from Robert Brackett, director of the Center for Food Safety and Nutrition (CFSAN) at the Food and Drug Administration, Washington presses on. Mr. Brackett stated, in so many words, that there is existing and sufficient regulatory authority already in place through the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA). He further stated through testifying before Congress that the current administration has no plans to change current policy. He believes in the rights of the private citizen to make their own informed health choices when it comes to supplements.

The general manager for NSF International, Kathleen Jordan, testified at the same hearing before Congressional lawmakers that the development of the Dietary Supplement Certification Program speaks volumes for informing and allowing consumers adequate protection from the unregulated sale of supplements. The non-profit and non-government organization is leading the way in sane and fair ideas like the recently developed NSF/ANSI Standard 173, which ensures proper nutrient count and identification of contents. On one point, everyone seems to be in agreement. That is, tighter control of anabolic steroids that were once contained in products marketed as “sports supplements”. The misuse of the term “supplement” in this case is one of the reasons that people are confused on the difference between dangerous substances like steroids and harmless nutrient supplements like vitamins, minerals and herbs.

Most people who take vitamins and supplements are on their self-imposed schedule that is usually based on the recommended daily allowance (RDA). I take vitamins and supplements every day and the amounts I take are based on the RDA, and the recommendations of my physician. In other words, I have supplements in my system all the time, as I routinely stay on schedule with this. If I were to believe that RDAs of vitamins, minerals and herbs would adversely affect my health in any way, I would stop taking them immediately. Many people that hear of this bill before Congress are going to believe that a real danger does exist just because it is at issue. Others, who inevitably experience failing health in one form or another, will also remember that a dietary supplement debate raged on for years.

If the outcome of the legislation is to allow frivolous lawsuits to ensue, they will surface, even if the supplements have absolutely nothing to do with their ills. The eventual outcome, sadly, is predictable. Every ailment known to man will be blamed on these harmless supplements, the industry will be forced to regulate in order to protect their bottom line, and you won’t be able to get dietary supplements without a prescription from your MD. When you then drive to your local drug store and are forced to pay hundreds of dollars for mere dietary supplements, remember that you had this one chance to voice your opinion by writing, calling or emailing your Senator or Congressman.

Fax Senator Dick Durbin at 202-228-0400, Fax Senators Tom Harkin at 202-224-9369 and Orrin Hatch at 202-224-6331Fax Senator Michael Enzi, Chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, at 202-228-0359. Tell them that you demand the freedom to make your own health related and nutritional supplements decisions. The truth is this: The AER bill is wrong! It is wrong for the private citizen and it is wrong to the dietary supplement industry. It is wrong for America!

If you work out at a health club you probably noticed that in the last few years there are fewer treadmills, because they are being replaced by elliptical trainers. And although treadmills still outsell ellipticals in total numbers, elliptical sales are growing at a faster rate.

What is driving the popularity of elliptical trainers? There are two factors that make elliptical trainers so appealing:

Low Impact Workout

Upper and Lower Body Workout

Benefits of a Low Impact Workout

Most types of exercise require some type of impact and/or reverse action. For example, when you walk each step is impacting force on your ankles, knees and lower back. That impact is minor in comparison to running, which can be as much as 2.5x your body weight. Over the years that constant pounding can result in long-term injuries and strains.

Elliptical trainers reduce the hazards of impact through an elliptical motion.It feels like you are naturally walking or running without any real impact or reverse action, and yet it is a weight bearing exercise that contributes to building muscle and bone density.

If you look at the side of an elliptical trainer you’ll notice the shape of the motion is like a flat circular pattern. Budget ellipticals tend to be more circular and bouncy, while quality machines have a flatter circular motion and more of an even stride. Regardless, the elliptical motion significantly reduces the impact to your joints, and that is why elliptical trainers are appealing to older individuals and people with injuries. It is becoming the exercise machine of choice for the “baby boomers.”

Benefits of an Upper and Lower Body Workout

The concept of exercising the upper and lower body simultaneously is revolutionary. An elliptical workout utilizes the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, chest, back, triceps and biceps. There is no other machine that offers this benefit. You are not only exercising more muscle group, you are also optimizing your energy expenditure. That means it is taking less time to achieve more results, like burning calories and increasing your cardio capacity. A number of elliptical trainers allow you to reverse the motion, thereby emphasizing resistance to even more parts of your muscles.

By exercising more of your muscle mass you improve fat mobilization, which results in burning more calories and building muscle endurance more efficiently. Certain experts have suggested that this dual action process reduces the perceived rate of exertion. In other words, you are exercising harder without a noticeable difference from a less strenuous workout.

The benefit of an upper and lower body workout, combined with low impact exercising, are the reasons why elliptical trainers are so popular. And there is one other feature that should be noted. In comparison to treadmills, elliptical trainers require considerably less maintenance. That is due to the fact there are fewer moving parts, and less wear from impact.

If you haven’t tried an elliptical trainer, get to your local health club or a fitness equipment store and take one for an elliptical spin. Avoid the budget models and test the machines that are at least $1,000+. They have a more natural elliptical motion and are more stable and durable.

You’ll find that an elliptical trainer can have a major impact on your health and fitness.

Treadmills have become extremely popular over the years. They are specifically designed to enhance the most popular form of exercising – running and walking. Treadmills are built on the idea that the more effort you put in, the more you get out. As other fitness equipment fads come and go, treadmills gain popularity and get results.

The two most popular forms of exercising are running and walking. Whether you are a casual walker or a serious runner, a treadmill can accommodate your exercise needs. Set the speed and incline to suite your desired cardiovascular goals. You can do a power walk up an incline or a heart pumping run at high speed.

The treadmill is unsurpassed for a cardiovascular workout. It works the large muscles in your body. According to a recent study calories burned on the treadmill for 60 minutes averaged 865 – 705. Contrast that with; The stair machine (746-637), rowing machine (739-606), stationary cycle with levers (709-509), cross-country ski machine (678-595) and the stationary cycle (604-498). As you can see from the figures the treadmill is unmatched for burning calories.

Ecercise treadmills wil give a good workout whatever the weather. In warm or wet regions, you don’t need to be concerned about heat exhaustion in hot and humid weather.

Injuries that plague runners and walkers due to the constant pounding of joints on asphalt and concrete are eliminated or drastically reduced by users of treadmills. Injuries are less common and stress is reduced on those critical joints. Achilles tendons, knee joints, back muscles, ankles, thighs take less of a beating, which guarantee that you’ll continue to walk or run into your old age.

As treadmills become more sophisticated so does the versatility of the workout. Speed and incline have always been a feature on motorized treadmills, but now your workout is enhanced by a variety of preprogrammed computerized exercises. Simulate running up and down hills, focus on cardio exercise, concentrate on burning calories, or work on speed training. Often treadmills have preset programs with various levels of intensity. In addition you can program your own workout, combining speed with incline.

A good treadmill is a balance of power, stability and fun. Your ability to find the right machine will depend upon why you want one and how much you can pay. Buy the best machine you can afford paying attention to the following features:

Frame: High alloy steel is usually more durable than aluminum, however they are heavier and must be coated to protect the treadmill from rust. Get on the treadmill, if it feels wobbly and flimsy, then it is. Selected a welded frame over a bolted one and avoid all plastic frames.

Hand Rails: The location of the hand rails is a matter of preference. Whether you desire a handlebar in front or two side rails, be sure they are sturdy and don’t get in the way of your arm swings.

AC or DC Motor: Most home units are DC, but commercial treadmills may have either AC or DC. AC motors tend to be noisier and generally require a dedicated power line.

Horsepower: Check for the continuous-duty rating for the motor’s true horsepower. Anything less than 1.5 continuous-duty horsepower can quickly be worn out.

Speed: Most treadmills run from 0 to 10 mph. A good machine will match the pace you feel comfortable walking or running. A safe starting speed of 0.5 mph or less is also very important for safety reasons.

Belt: Be sure the length of the walking/running surface is long enough for your longest stride. The width of the belt should be no less than 16″ from a wear and tear standpoint as well as comfortable striding. Be sure you can comfortably reach the treadmill controls without stepping on the motor housing as well.

Deck: This is one of the critical quality elements of the treadmill. Quality decks shouldn’t need much maintenance and they operate at a low temperature.

Impact Resilience: This is the treadmill’s ability to absorb the force from the impact of your feet. The lower the impact on your body, the better.

Incline Adjustment: There’s a variety of ways to adjust the incline of a treadmill, from the automatic incline which changes depending upon your heart rate, to pushing a bottom on the console, to the less sophisticated methods of a manual hand crank or manually setting pins. Quality electronic incline adjustment shouldn’t be noisy or cause the machine to shake at any grade.

Control Panel: Generally computerized panels are standard thesedays. They range from basic and simple to the complex and fully programmable. It all depends on what features you require. Various control panel options can push up the price so purchase only what you will regularly use.

Heart Rate Monitors: This is generally an optional feature. Accuracy varies widely with the ear and finger clips being less accurate than the chest strap monitors.

Price: As with most things in life, you get what you pay for. You’re going to invest $1,000 and up in a good quality motorized machine. Spending this kind of money ought to motivate you to do your homework and purchase wisely.

It is important to get yourself on a regular routine. The more time you spend on it, the more calories you burn and the more weight you lose. Find a fitness program that works for you. Depending on your preference, you could combine your workout with music, television or videos.

We all have this favorite expression when it comes to being stressed out, and I wouldn’t bother naming all of them since it may also vary in different languages. But when it comes down to it, I think that it is how we work or even relax, for that matter that triggers stress. Ever been stressed even when you’re well relaxed and bored? I know I have.

Since Error! Hyperlink reference not valid. is unavoidable in life, it is important to find ways to decrease and prevent stressful incidents and decrease negative reactions to stress. Here are some of the things that can be done by just remembering it, since life is basically a routine to follow like brushing your teeth or eating breakfast. You can do a few of them in a longer span of time, but as they say– every minute counts.

Managing time

Time management skills can allow you more time with your family and friends and possibly increase your performance and productivity. This will help reduce your stress.

To improve your time management:

Save time by focusing and concentrating, delegating, and scheduling time for yourself.

Keep a record of how you spend your time, including work, family, and leisure time.

Prioritize your time by rating tasks by importance and urgency. Redirect your time to those activities that are important and meaningful to you.

Manage your commitments by not over- or undercommitting. Don’t commit to what is not important to you.

Deal with procrastination by using a day planner, breaking large projects into smaller ones, and setting short-term deadlines.

Examine your beliefs to reduce conflict between what you believe and what your life is like.

Build healthy coping strategies

It is important that you identify your coping strategies. One way to do this is by recording the stressful event, your reaction, and how you cope in a stress journal. With this information, you can work to change unhealthy coping strategies into healthy ones-those that help you focus on the positive and what you can change or control in your life.

Lifestyle

Some behaviors and lifestyle choices affect your stress level. They may not cause stress directly, but they can interfere with the ways your body seeks relief from stress. Try to:

Balance personal, work, and family needs and obligations.

Have a sense of purpose in life.

Get enough sleep, since your body recovers from the stresses of the day while you are sleeping.

Eat a balanced diet for a nutritional defense against stress.

Get moderate exercise throughout the week.

Limit your consumption of alcohol.

Don’t smoke.

Social support

Social support is a major factor in how we experience stress. Social support is the positive support you receive from family, friends, and the community. It is the knowledge that you are cared for, loved, esteemed, and valued. More and more research indicates a strong relationship between social support and better mental and physical health.

Changing thinking

When an event triggers negative thoughts, you may experience fear, insecurity, anxiety, depression, rage, guilt, and a sense of worthlessness or powerlessness. These emotions trigger the body’s stress, just as an actual threat does. Dealing with your negative thoughts and how you see things can help reduce stress.

Thought-stopping helps you stop a negative thought to help eliminate stress.

Disproving irrational thoughts helps you to avoid exaggerating the negative thought, anticipating the worst, and interpreting an event incorrectly.

Problem solving helps you identify all aspects of a stressful event and find ways to deal with it.

Changing your communication style helps you communicate in a way that makes your views known without making others feel put down, hostile, or intimidated. This reduces the stress that comes from poor communication. Use the assertiveness ladder to improve your communication style.

Even writers like me can get stressed even though we’re just using our hands to do the talking, but having to sit for 7 or 8 hours is already stressful enough and have our own way to relieve stress. Whether you’re the mail guy, the CEO, or probably the average working parent, stress is one unwanted visitor you would love to boot out of your homes, especially your life.

Yoga is a science. That is something to grasp. Yoga is a science, and not a vague, dreamy drifting or imagining. While it is true the west has been familiar with the practice of yoga for a relatively short time, yoga is not a new discipline , and it has been studied and practiced in many countries during the last century. Yoga is an applied science, a systematized collection of laws applied to bring about a definite end.

It takes up the laws of psychology, applicable to the unfolding of the whole consciousness of man on every plane, in every world, and applies those rationally in a particular case. This rational application of the laws of unfolding consciousness acts exactly on the same principles that you see applied around you every day in other departments of science. Yoga uses many of the techniques that are used in more modern and lately developed psychological or even medial physical exercise disciplines.

As one ages he learns that by looking at the world around you, how enormously the intelligence of man, co-operating with nature, may quicken “natural” processes, and the working of intelligence is as “natural” as anything else. The yoga way not only combines this feeling of “cosmos” but also works beneath the surface to strengthen the unity of man with the universe. We make this distinction, and practically it is a real one, between “rational” and “natural” growth, because human intelligence can guide the working of natural laws; and when we come to deal with Yoga, we are in the same department of applied science as, let us say, is the scientific farmer or gardener, when he applies the natural laws of selection to breeding. The farmer or gardener cannot transcend the laws of nature, nor can he work against them. He has no other laws of nature to work with save universal laws by which nature is evolving forms around us, and yet he does in a few years what nature takes, perhaps, hundreds of thousands of years to do.

This can b done by applying human intelligence to choose the laws that serve him and to neutralize the laws that have a negative effect on the goal of the farmer. The farmer brings the divine intelligence in man to utilize the divine powers in nature that are working for general rather than for particular ends.

Yoga is something that can make a real change in peoples lives, we have seen this many times, from the physical practice of yoga to the philosophical implications, through the knowledge of the science of yoga, all that is yoga combines into a bigger, complete discipline that is beneficial for humanity. For some calling yoga is a way to allow this to pass as a acceptable means of physical development, for others it seems like it contradicts the very spiritual nature of yoga, the different faces of yoga, as its different uses sometime creates the illusion of one single use.